Container assembly having releasable connections



H. H. HAMLIN 2,792,242

CONTAINER ASSEMBLY HAVING RELEASABLE CONNECTIONS May 14, 1957 7 Filed Aug. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Q N a INVENTOR HALLEY H. HAMLIN ATTORNEY May 14, 1957 H. H. HAMLIN CONTAINER ASSEMBLY HAVING RELEASABLE CONNECTIONS Filed Aug. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR HALLEY H.HAMLIN iinited States Patent T CONTAINER ASSEMBLY HAVING RELEASABLE CONNECTIONS Halley H. Hamlin, Lyndhurst, Ohio, assignor to Cievite Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation or Gino Application August 15, 1955, Seriai No. 523,160

d Claims. (Cl. 285-349) This invention relates to a container assembly having provision for releasably securing together hermetically two sections of the container.

For certain applications it is desirable to have a container made up of two or more different sections joined together in fluid-tight fashion to prevent the ingress or egress of air, water, oil or other fluids. Previous container assemblies of this general type have been constructed in such a manner as to render impossible the rapid connection or disconnection of the container sections because of the relatively elaborate precautions which had to be taken to insure adequate hermetic sealing between the container sections when assembled together. The container assembly of the present invention avoids this disadvantage by the provision of a novel sealing arrangement which enables the rapid assembly or disassembly of the container sections in fluid-tight fashion by the use of a few simple manipulative steps employing conventional hand tools.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly having a novel provision for releasably securing together in fluid tight fashion diiierent sections of the container.

Also, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel arrangement for attaching onto the end of a tubular container section which requires only simple internal machining of the container section to adapt it for such attachment.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view, with parts broken away, illustrating the container assembly of the present invention;

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional views showing the position of the parts in progressive steps in the assembly of the container; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the container sections assembled together.

Referring to Fig. l, the cylindrical container sections 10 and Ida are to be seated on the respective rims 11 and 11a of a double rim connecting ring 12 and clamped in that position by a clamping ring made up of two separable segments 13a and 13b (Fig. 6).

In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting ring 12 has an annular central hub 14 integral with both of the rims 11 and 11a, although this hub may be omitted, if desired. These rims have cylindrical peripheries of equal diameters in which are formed grooves 15 and 15a, respectively, which receive resilient, compressible O-rings 16, 36a of rubber orother suitable material. The O-ring 16 projects radially outward beyond the periphery of rim 11 to engage the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 17 on the container section 10. The O-ring 16 is compressed between this last-mentioned surface and the groove 15 in rim l1 and provides a fluid-tight seal between the con- Patented 14-,

tainer section 10 and the rim 11 entirely around the inner periphery of the container section it Just behind the inner peripheral surface 17 the con tainer section ltl is formed with an internal, radially inwardly projecting, transverse annular shoulder l8 which engages the outer end 19 of rim 11 to limit axial movement of the container section 10 to the right in Figs. 2-5.

Immediately forward of the inner peripheral surface 17 the container section it is formed with an outwardly inclined interior surface 29 which terminates in an annular internal groove 21 in the container section 10. This groove receives a split metal retaining ring 22, which preferably is compressed from its natural shape when thus received in the groove so that it exerts a radial outward force to maintain itself seated in this groove. One end 23 of the split ring 22 is turned out for reception in a slot 24 formed in the forward end of container section 10. The metal ring 22 carried by the container section 10 is adapted to seat against a radially disposed annular shoulder 25 on the rim 11 to limit movement of the container section it to the left in Figs. 25. Immediately forward of the shoulder 25 the periphery of rim ii is of slightly reduced diameter, providing a cylindrical land 30 on which the inner periphery of the ring 22 seats when the unit is assembled.

The structure and arrangement of the parts for releasably securing the other container section 16a on the other rim 11a of the connecting ring 12 in fluid-tight fashion is identical to that just described, with the corresponding elements being designated by the same reference numerals with the subscript 0 added.

The confronting forward ends of the container sections 10 and. 10a have forwardly and inwardly inclined bevel faces 26 and 26a. The respective segments 313a and 13b of the clamping ring have complementary inclined side faces 27 and 27a, which seat snugly on the bevel faces 26 and 26a on the container sections when the parts are assembled together, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the assembly of the container section 16 onto the connecting ring, referring to Figs. 2-5, initially the split retaining ring 22 is disengaged from the internal groove 21 in the container section it while the O-ring 16 is in place in the peripheral groove 15 on rim 11 of the connecting ring. The forward end of the container section 10 now is slid over the rim ill (to the ri ht in Fig. 2) until the shoulder 13 abuts against the outer end 19 of rim 11, which limits the insertion of the container section 10 onto this rim. The container section tl and rim 11 are now in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Next, the split retaining ring 22 is snapped in place in the groove 21 and, with the projecting end 23 of this ring located in the slot 24 in the container section it), this retaining ring is secured against turning appreciably with respect to container 10. The parts now are positioned as shown in Fig. 3.

Next, the container section it) is retracted to the left in Fig. 3 until the retaining ring 22 carried by the container section it abuts against the shoulder 25 and the land 30 on the rim 11 of the connecting ring, in Fig. 4.

The container section iiia is positioned on of the connecting ring by the same procedure.

With both container sections it led mounted on the respective rims of the connecting ring as shown in Fig. 4-, the clamping ring halves 13a and 132) are positioned between the confronting bevel faces 26, 26a on the container sections 19 and Ida, respectively, and are secured together end-to-end by a pair of threaded bolts 2'8 (Fig. 6). The parts are now in the position shown in Pig. 5, with the clamping ring spreading the container sections it iiia apart to maintain the retaining rings 22 2a seated on the respective lands 36, 36a and abutting tightly against rim 11a the respective shoulders 25, 25a on the connecting ring.

The assembled container arrangement may be disassembled simply by reversing the steps for assembly. After disconnecting the clamping ring halves 13a, 13b from each other and removing them from the assembly, one of the container sections 10 or 10:: is slid forward across the connecting ring 12 to the Fig. 3 position. Then the retaining ring 22 or 22a carried by this container section may be detached from it by first disengaging its project ing end 23 or 23a from the slot 24 or 24a in the corresponding container section. Next, this container section may be completely detached from the connecting ring simply by retracting it away from the other container section.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides for the rapid assembly and disassembly of separate sections of a container by simple manipulative steps. At the same time, the assembled container arrangement is completely sealed against the entry or escape of fluids, such as air, water or oil.

It will be noted that the releasable attachment onto the end of a hollow tube in accordance with the present invention is made without the necessity of changing the external surface of the tube or providing any permanent attachment thereto. Instead, all that is required to adapt a tube for such connection is to machine the surfaces 17 and 2 and the groove 21 on the interior of the tube close to the end at which the attachment is to be made.

While there has been described herein a specific preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications, omissions and refinements which depart from the disclosed embodiment may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, the shoulders 18 and 18a may be omitted, if desired. Also, it is to be understood that the connecting ring 12 may be integral with, or securely attached to, one of the container sections, with the other container section having the releasable connection to the connecting ring described above.

I claim:

1. In combination, a connecting ring presenting a rim with a cylindrical periphery, said rim having an annular groove in its periphery and presenting a transverse annular shoulder forward of said groove, said rim forward of said shoulder terminating in a cylindrical peripheral land of reduced diameter, a cylindrical container section surrounding said rim and terminating at its forward end in a forwardly and inwardly inclined bevel face, said container section having an internal groove adjacent its forward end positioned to overlie said land on said rim, a split ring seated in said groove in said container sec,- tion and projecting radially inward beyond the interior surface of the container section for engagement with said land and said shoulder on the rim, an O-ring of resilient distortable material seated in said groove in the rim and projecting radially outward beyond the periphery of the trim into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the interior surface of said container section, :a member having a connection to said connecting ring and terminating at one end in an annular face disposed in confronting relation to said bevel face on said container section, and a 4; clamping ring disposed between said confronting faces and having a bevel face shaped complementary to said bevel face on said container section which engages said bevel face on said container section to position said split ring tightly against said shoulder on the rim and seated on said land on the rim.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said annular face on said member is beveled inwardly and toward said bevel face on said container section, and said clamping ring has a bevel face shaped complementary to said beveled annular face on said member and engaging said beveled annular face.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said clamping ring is in the form of arcuate ring segments releasably connected together end-to-end.

4-. in combination, a connecting ring presenting first and second axially spaced apart cylindrical rims, said rims having peripheral lands of reduced diameter which extend from the mutually adjacent ends of the rims and terminate in annular transverse outwardly protruding shoulders spaced from said ends, first and second cylindrical container sections extending respectively around said first and second rims and terminating in forwardly and inwardly inclined bevel faces confronting one another, each of said container sections being formed at its inner surface with an internal groove spaced from said bevel face, a split ring releasably seated under compression in each said groove and protruding radially inward beyond said inner surface of that container section and radially inward beyond the outer edge of said shoulder on the corresponding rim for engagement with said shoulder and said land thereon, each rim between said rim shoulder and its other end having a cylindrical periphery disposed radially inwardly of said inner surface on the corresponding container section and being formed thereat with a groove in its periphery, an O-ring of resilient distortable material seated in each said last-mentioned groove and protruding radially outward beyond the rim periphery to tightly engage in fluid-tight fashion said inner surface of the corresponding container section, and a clamping ring composed of arcuate ring segments releasably connected together end-to-end and having bevel faces complementary to the bevel faces on the container sections and disposed between said faces to position each of said split rings carried by the container sections tightly against the shoulders on the corresponding rims of the connecting ring and seated on said lands on the respective rims. i

5,. The combination of claim 4, wherein each cont tainer section is formed with a slot extending from its bevel face, and each split ring has an outwardly protruding portion received in said slot in the corresponding container section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,190,350 Williams July 11, 1916 1,525,414 Roeckner Feb. 3, '1925 2,214,177 Reybould Sept. 10, 1940 2,436,407 Stephens Feb. 24, 1948 2,521,127 Price Sept. 5, 1950 

